Axis cameras keep watch over Manchester City Council

Axis
cameras have been installed in the prestigious Grade II listed Manchester Town
Hall Extension and Central Library as part of a significant redevelopment of
the Council’s central accommodation.

Axis Communications
and partner, Grantfen Fire and Security (Grantfen), developed a
state-of–the-art solution that combined Axis network cameras and Genetec’s
Security Centre video management software. To effectively cover the 680,000 sq
ft area of both sites, the surveillance specification for the project included
over 200 Axis cameras.

Atul Rajput, Axis’
regional director, northern Europe said: “The civic nature of Manchester City
Council’s sites means that buildings must be secure, while remaining open for
public access – for meetings, enquiries, transactions and admission to other
facility services – all of which can present a security challenge.

“The council further
specified that the project must include cameras that not only delivered
excellent picture quality and advanced feature applications, but that were also
aesthetically pleasing and did not diminish or detract from the look of the
historic buildings.

The new Axis system
replaced an assortment of mismatched legacy analogue CCTV systems which had
been fitted over time in both the Town Hall Extension and Central Library buildings.
Both sites were controlled by various incompatible management software packages
and concerns were raised that, as the historic security system aged, its
vulnerabilities were becoming pronounced and it was essential that archived
video footage was appropriately safeguarded.

Atul continued: “Our
partner, Grantfen, won a competitive tender to implement an effective IP-based
video and access control solution for Manchester City Council as part of the
wider redevelopment of its central accommodation, which includes a Grade
II listed property and buildings of distinct architectural significance. A key
priority therefore, was that any camera used in the project, must be high
resolution enough to meet the Council’s security requirements, but unobtrusive
enough? so as not detract from the historic buildings.

After a proof of
concept trial at the start of the project, Axis was chosen as the preferred
supplier. The palm-sized AXIS M3005-V Fixed Dome Network Camera tested best in
the line-up: it met all of the Council’s requirements, combining outstanding
HD-quality video, with a modest, unobtrusive footprint and robust reliability
in a wide variety of applications. The camera’s broad-spectrum of feature-rich
functionality was also crucial.

Graham Cole, operations
director at Grantfen, said: “Thanks to their broad product range, partnering
with Axis meant that we could use one manufacturer throughout, with one
consistent user interface to achieve a high degree of synergy across the
system.”

Custom integrations were
designed between the Axis and Genetec systems meaning that alarms would be
relayed to a centralised control area in case of emergencies, with detailed
procedures added to instruct security operators how to proceed in the event of
an exception alarm. Advanced capabilities like people counting were also
included in the Central Library to allow the council to verify visitor numbers.
Thanks to the manoeuvrability and exceptional range of motion of Axis
equipment, cameras were able to be mounted in areas that previously had an
obstructed view.

Graham explained: “In the case of the Central Library entrance, mounting a
camera proved quite a challenge because of the door’s unusually narrow transom,
which was too small to accommodate most surveillance cameras.” The AXIS P1214
Miniature HDTV pinhole camera was therefore selected to account for this
discrepancy and to allow subtle and discreet surveillance in this
high-visibility area.

Ian Jackson, sales
director at Grantfen, concluded: “This technology is steering Manchester City
Council towards greater efficiency and improved customer service. Despite more
access being granted to the public, the new security system has made the
buildings feel more secure and the management team confident in the knowledge
that Manchester City Council staff, visitors and important archive
documentation are all being effectively protected.”

Thanks to the
overwhelming success of the project, discussions are now underway to replicate
the installation to cover the main Town Hall building.

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